The White Peony
by Sakimi1014
Summary: Title may change...It has been a year since Shuurei's parting with Ryuuki during New Year's. Once again, Kiyou is getting ready for the New Year's festivities, but this year, things are going to change a bit. KouyuuXOC, ShuureiXRyuuki in the beginning
1. Prologue

Hi peoples! Anyway, I've been totally hooked onto Saiunkoku Monogatari lately, and I just couldn't help myself. Don't worry, I'm still continuing my Naruto fanfic, but I just had to go along with my imagination. Because I have only seen the first season, this story may be totally different from the actual anime once they start the second season. Just as a little note, this story takes place about one year after the first season ending.

Disclaimer: I don't own Saiunkoku Monogatari...no matter how much I want to.../sigh/

* * *

Prologue

Li Kouyuu was never much of a savior. He just didn't have the martial arts skills to be one. Sure, he could keep his head in a dangerous situation, but his skill was nowhere near the emperor's or Shuuei's. He was the kind of guy that used his brain for nearly every aspect of his life; of course, coming from the Kou clan, that much was expected. As such, he would never uselessly throw himself into the idle of possible peril, right?

**Wrong.** That is exactly what he did when he selflessly _tried _to defend a young "peasant" woman and her little "brother" from a band of drunken bandits. At least, what he thought were peasants…

* * *

A/N: I know it's short, so don't flame me! I already have two pages down for the first chapter, so bear with me alright?! I'm very busy so please excuse my extremely late updates!

Please R&R


	2. Chapter 1

Hey peeps! I told you I would have the first chapter up soon! I hope you enjoy it! I promise to have ShuureiXRyuuki fluff up soon! Don't know if it's going to be in the next chapter though...haven't thought that far yet...lol

Oh! and Congratulations to Serena-Demon Goddess for being my first reviewer! She's my awesome, reliable, and grammar nazi of a friend!

Disclaimer: I don't own Saiunkoku Monogatari, but I wish I did own Kouyuu...He's just so cute!

* * *

Chapter 1

Having gotten better in his sense of direction, Li Kouyuu decided to challenge himself and take a detour to Shouka's house. It was getting close to New Year's again and Shuurei would be coming back to Kiyou to report on Sa Province's advancement in their Academic Research project at the ceremony held in several weeks. Kouyuu smiled and shook his head as he remembered the sight of Ryuuki's face when he read the letter that announced her return.

_He was in a daze the whole afternoon! Always staring off into space and sighing peacefully whispering Shuurei's name. Although, that expression did reassure me that he was still the same person…_

The emperor had become a great emperor and person, indeed. Nearly all of the central government officials had grown to respect him and he barely ever called on Kouyuu to help anymore, but with his respect came loneliness and the only cure for that was Shuurei. A small smirk replaced the smile when Kouyuu reminisced back to three years ago, when Ryuuki really was useless.

Suddenly realizing that he hadn't been paying attention to the road and had obviously gotten lost, "Mou..! Kouyuu no baka!" he berated himself mentally as he tried to retrace his steps, but finding that the snow had covered his footprints about five minutes later, he really started fuming.

_Damn it! Now how am going to get to Shouka-sama's house?! I might even freeze before anyone finds me! _Realizing this, Kouyuu shuddered and pulled his coat around his body tighter as he thought about what his adoptive father's expression would be if he was found hopelessly lost again… _That cold smirk hasn't changed one bit! I'm finished when he finds out! _Then looking at the sky, he shivered once more when he saw that he was definitely late. _Shouka-sama's probably worried be now…Damn it! Why did I have to be cursed like this?!_

Kouyuu was so immersed in his silent session of rage that he didn't even notice the group of drunks until he heard a scream coming from the alley that they were walking into. He searched for the source and found a young woman backing up against the wall, away from the men fearfully clutching the opening of her coat with one hand and the other holding the shoulder of a boy no more than fifteen years old, who was glaring at the drunks contemptibly.

"W-what do you want? If it's money, I'll give it to you, just leave us alone!" she shouted hesitantly.

"We just want to play with you…jou-chan…After all, we haven't seen such a beauty in such a long time…We won't harm you if you come quietly…" one man slurred out. Kouyuu had to agree with his second statement, the woman was indeed a beauty. Her hair looked like it had a silkiness that even rivaled Chamberlain Kou's and perfectly slim, rounded shoulders suggested of a great body underneath the thick layer of her coat.

"Don't you dare touch her with your filthy hands!" the young boy shouted with menace.

"What did you say, gaki? If my hearing is correct, I could have sworn that you had just called me filthy…" another man, dressed more nicely and apparently the leader said as he walked to the front of the group. "Care to say that again?"

"Sure; you're too disgusting to lay a finger on her!" the boy again yelled.

"Why you little…!" the drunk raised his fist to give the insolent kid a good beating, but found that he was being held back by none other than a aquamarine hair-colored, silver eye-colored young man. "Let me go, you bastard! Do you know who I am?!"

"You shouldn't lash out at children, it's indecent," Kouyuu released his wrist and glared at him directly in the eye. "Go; your presence is unwanted here."

"Insolent child!" the drunk punched Kouyuu, slamming him to the wall next to the woman, who shrieked at the brutality.

Kouyuu groaned painfully at his impact and had a hard time stopping the pounding in his head.

"That ought to teach you a lesson to stay out of adults' affairs!" cackled the man as he turned around to face the kid again. "Now where were we?" the leader cracked his knuckles and went in for a hard punch, despite Kouyuu's screams of "Stop!" However, Kouyuu needn't have screamed because the child could obviously fend for himself, as he clearly demonstrated by dodging the fist and taking the man's wrist and promptly flinging him to the ground.

"Gomen, Sakimi-sama, but I will have to break my promise for a little while," the young child said as he began to fight the other thugs after they started charging at him when they found their leader down. "You there, with the weird-colored hair and can't fight for your life, you better protect my lady while I take care of these idiots."

Kouyuu's cheeks blushed angrily at the insult, but nonetheless moved to the woman's side as she called out, "Be careful, Shiro-kun!"

Apparently, the boy, Shiro-kun, was a master at martial arts. As he beat down the drunken men one after another (even with their swords they couldn't surpass his speed), Kouyuu pondered over the lady he was "protecting". _Probably her guard…Now that I get a closer look, she doesn't look like a peasant…I wonder who she really is…_

Once again too caught up in his thoughts to notice, Kouyuu didn't see the leader rise up from the ice cold ground and charge toward the woman with a sword in hand until it was almost too late. It seemed as if time itself slowed as both he and the lady realized they were being targeted, and as the woman screamed and the point of the sword came closer and closer to her, Kouyuu did the first thing that came to his mind. He jumped in front of the damn thing and his arm got the blow.

"Ahhh!" Kouyuu cried as his blood came spurting out of the wound and stained the white snow in front of him. Thankfully, at the sound of his mistress's scream, the boy quickly dispatched his current opponent and turned his attention back towards the leader. Seeing the imminent danger, he punched the guy's face to stop the second blow that was coming and then jumped behind the man and hand-chopped his lower neck to force the man into unconsciousness.

Kouyuu's face scrunched up in pain as he felt the force of his wound and his left hand clasped onto his right arm to stem the bleeding as he fell painfully onto the ground. The woman immediately knelt beside him and took out a small medicinal kit. Expert hands took a piece of white cloth and removed his own hand from the wound then began gently wiping away the blood that was already starting to flow again. The last thing he remembered was seeing worried, but warm, lavender eyes stare into his own before they returned to concentrating on his injury.

"Sakimi-sama, is he hurt badly?" asked the young boy after he defeated all of the thugs, his eyes checking over Kouyuu's unconscious body for any other injuries.

"No, but he did bleed quite a lot. I've managed to stop the flow and apply a little disinfectant and painkiller," replied the young lady as she began to bind the wound with bandages, "Too bad I don't have any needles or thread with me…He's going to need stitches as soon as possible."

The young boy frowned with discontent, "The idiot, he can't even save his own life…"

"That may be so, but he did save me, and for that, we owe him…" smiled the woman at her protector's clear 'worry'. "I'll be sure to repay him when we arrive to our destination."

The boy nodded, "Where do we leave him though? We can't possibly just abandon him here…he'll freeze!"

"That's why I'm trying to find some sort of identification aren't I?" replied the lady, irritated, as she searched inside his coat for some sort of piece of identification before her eyes landed on the jade flower hanging from his belt. "Oh my…Shiro-kun…I believe we are going to be in a lot of trouble…" she laughed nervously as she pointed to the jade flower.

"Hmph…as if we weren't already…" muttered Shiro under his breath, but he made a sharp gasp when he saw what she was pointing at. "Nani?! This guy is the heir to the Kou clan?! This man is Li Kouyuu?!"

"Apparently so, Shiro-kun" the lady sweat-dropped. "Judging from the direction that he came from, I think he was heading to Shouka-dono's house, so we better take him there."

"I'll take him, Sakimi-sama, you just continue ahead to the Haku clan manor. I'll meet you there later," the yound child said in response.

"Alright, but take these letters with you. I don't want to be in any more trouble than I already am…" the lady hastily scribbled down two letters, one containing information on how to treat the wound and the ingredients needed for a healing potion and the other explaining what happened and containing her apology. After writing them down, she packed up her writing kit and medicine box, carefully folded the letters, handed them to Shiro, and stood up to dust herself off.

Shiro took the pieces of paper from her and picked up Kouyuu with one arm clutching Kouyuu's good arm and the other tightly grasping his waist. With a grunt, and a quietly muttered, "Be careful," he jumped up to the top of the wall and quickly disappeared into the evening.

Sakimi smiled and replied, "You be careful with him too, Shiro-kun. After all, Kouyuu-sama seemed to be a very nice man toward ladies, despite the rumors." Her last sentence was left to float away into the lightly blowing wind as she turned toward her destination and continued on her way.

* * *

Read and Review people! READ AND REVIEW. Please? 


End file.
